Wednesday 30 November 2022

Manchester Airport to be first UK airport with direct hydrogen supply

Manchester Airport is set to become the first UK airport with a direct supply of low carbon hydrogen fuel.

It has announced a partnership with HyNet, one of the UK's government-backed industrial decarbonisation projects, that will see the airport connected with a direct hydrogen fuel pipeline.

The airport has signed a memorandum of understanding with the two founding partners of the project – Progressive Energy which develops projects to decarbonise the energy sector and Cadent which will build and operate the hydrogen pipeline network.

Research conducted by FlyZero involving Manchester Airports Group (MAG) estimated the demand for liquid hydrogen at an airport the size of Manchester could be 6.5 million litres a day by 2050.

The partners will work together to assess the future demand for hydrogen for aviation and explore the feasibility to connect Manchester Airport to HyNet's regional network.

With the connection, the airport aims to be the first to establish a direct hydrogen pipeline to supply its more than 60 airlines with sustainable fuel “at the earliest opportunity” and create green jobs for the region.

Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director, Manchester Airport said: “This announcement demonstrates the meaningful action we are taking to ensure we can deliver a carbon-free future for the aviation industry.

“The partnership between Manchester Airport and HyNet is a significant step forward for the future use of hydrogen across the North West, building a more sustainable future for the region. By securing a direct supply of hydrogen for our airport, our 60 airlines will be able to make use of this exciting and ground-breaking technology as soon as possible.

“The use of hydrogen will make a significant contribution to the UK aviation sector’s decarbonisation efforts and supports industry partners in reaching net zero.”